Pregame Primer: Fighting Saints Look To Trump Aces In Home And Home

By Jack Milewski, 11/09/18, 9:30AM CST

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Dubuque looks for second home win on Friday night

The Dubuque Fighting Saints will embark on their second home and home in as many weeks when they take on the Central Illinois Flying Aces tonight and Saturday. Central Illinois currently sits a point above the Fighting Saints in the standings and have had the early success due to an offense that is firing at 3.87 goals per game this season. Both teams have struggled in the win column as of late, as the Fighting Saints and Flying Aces are both 2-3.

-Dubuque could still be riding some momentum in to Friday’s game at home as they secured one of their biggest wins of the season thus far against the Waterloo Black Hawks. Dubuque, in just their third home game this season, benefitted from veterans on the team and skated to a 4-3 victory. Willie Knierim had two goals and Matias Maccelli and Logan Pietila had the other two.

-Central Illinois played three games in four days against the Youngstown Phantoms and lost two of three. Youngstown is unbeaten in their last four games and have been coming on as of late. The Flying Aces, as mentioned before, have a high powered offense. However, they also have given up a bunch of tallies. The Flying Aces have given up 3.69 goals per game.

-Dubuque has been a comparable team numbers wise, scoring 3.46 goals per game and giving up 3.53 per contest. However, those numbers are skewed based on the last five games. Dubuque has given up six goals or more three times this season, all within the last two weekends.

-The Flying Aces are the most penalized team in the Eastern Conference by a large margin. They currently have 33 more penalty minutes than the next closest team. Dubuque has the third best power play in the Eastern Conference at 22% this season.

-The Flying Aces have done their damage at five on five this season. They are only 12.9% on the power play, with 40 of their 50 goals coming at even strength. The Flying Aces penalty kill is in an even worse spot than their power play. As of Wednesday, the Flying Aces had the worst penalty kill in the league at 70.6%. They have given up seven more power play goals than the next closest opponent.

-Despite the two teams proximity and the fact that Dubuque and Central Illinois play in the same conference, the two meetings this week will be just two of three this season.

-Trevor Janicke, Tate Singleton and Lynden Breen lead the offensive charge for the Flying Aces. Janicke leads the team with 15 points while Breen and Singleton both follow close behind with 13. Cal Kiefiuk leads the team with 1.25 points per game as he has 10 points in eight games.